Roomies
by Leina
Summary: Opposite personalities collide when Kai Hiwatari and Tyson Kinomiya become university roommates. But for two people who fight a lot, there seems to be an interesting amount of chemistry too.
1. Yellow Light

**Roomies **was written a long, _long _time ago by the talented _MistyEyes_ and me. It was originally posted on _greatestjournal_, but the site closed down, and I thought this fun, romantic-comedy was gone forever. Luckily, I found it in the depths of the university computer's hard drive, and I really wanted to share it with the TyKa fans still out there

This is dedicated to **MistyEyes**. Thank you for sharing your talent and writing this hilarious story with me!

**Warnings:** There is shounen-ai, which is slash, which is boy/boy action.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter One: Yellow Light**

Tyson stared at the stone architecture, mouth open. He couldn't believe that he actually stood in front of _Aoki University_, one of the most prestigious universities in Japan. Most potential students failed the entrance exam. _Tyson_ failed the entrance exam. But only—despite his best friend Hilary's skepticism—once, thankfully.

Tyson adjusted his red and blue baseball cap, pumped his fist, and thread his way through the throngs of students towards _Ryuu-Fushicho_, his dorm. As he head into the building and entered the elevator, he wondered how living away from home would be like. He wondered whether the food would be any good. He wondered whether he'd fall asleep in every lecture. And just as the metal doors opened to the 4th floor floor, he wondered what his roommate would be like.

"Let's see…someone funny, nice, and great taste in food! Yeah. That'll work," Tyson grinned as he strutted down the hallway.

Tyson fished into his pockets for the scrap of paper he had written his room number on and squinted at it. Room 417. He counted off the numbers aloud as he passed closed doors and stopped in front of the designated one. He reached into his pocket for the key, but paused. Instead, Tyson took a deep breath, put a huge smile on his face, and rapped on the door three times.

After a few seconds, Tyson heard someone unlocking it. He smiled even harder, anticipation bouncing inside of him. Before he knew it, he was staring into the face of a young man with slate colored hair and magenta eyes.

"Hi!" Tyson greeted vivaciously.

The young man gave him a slightly bored look. "You need something?"

"Well, uh, actually, I'm supposed to be staying here. Room 417, right?"

"Right."

"I guess you're my new roommate!" Tyson exclaimed.

The other didn't reply for a moment.

"You're kidding, right? You look like a freshman to me."

Tyson scratched his head. "Well, I am."

The other boy sighed. "Someone is going to pay dearly for sticking me with a freshie," he muttered darkly.

Tyson blinked and decided to pretend he didn't hear that.

"This isn't your first year?" Tyson inquired.

"This is actually my _sophomore_ year."

Tyson frowned, taking that little bit of information in. He was staying with someone a year older than him. A year smarter than him. He shrugged it off and realized something with a laugh.

"We haven't properly met. Sorry about that." He extended a hand. "The name's Tyson Kinomiya."

The young man took the offered hand with an air of slight reluctance. "Kai Hiwatari."

"It's nice to meet you," Tyson said, flashing another grin. Kai moved away from the doorway and walked inside. Tyson followed slowly, taking in the room.

There were two beds, each on one side of the room. The bathroom was on the far left. There was a desk near Kai's bed with a few textbooks stacked neatly to one side and a lamp on the other. Near the empty bed was an equally empty desk that Tyson guessed was his. The longhaired boy dropped his belongings onto his bed and took another deep breath, inhaling the scent of his first dorm room.

So what if his roommate was a year older? And…err… so what if he hadn't made him feel especially welcomed? Tyson was certain that beneath that standoffish front, Kai Hiwatari was a loving, fun-filled person, much like himself.

_He must be shy_, Tyson thought.

"So…" began Tyson, "how's it like here?" he asked, plopping himself on his bed.

Tyson was positive that he just had to make a little small talk to get this Kai person talking. Tyson was a genuine people person after all, and he wasn't going to let a little friction from his new roommate get him now. Besides, he had a knack for getting people to like him. What could he say? He just had great charisma!

"So! Kai…do ya like it here? What do you like best about this place? Are the people nice? How are classes like? Are there any Profs that I should be wary of?"

Kai bit his bottom lip, his left eyebrow twitching slightly. This freshman talked too much.

"I have something to do," he declared, getting out of his desk and heading to the door.

"Oh! Okay, that's cool. Where you heading? Maybe we can get to know each other more when you get back? Hey, that reminds me!"

Kai cocked an eyebrow as he watched the child suddenly rip open a duffel bag and started throwing his things all over the place. A pair of boxers with what-looked like spinning tops on it landed at the foot of Kai's bed. Kai glared at the boxers, glared at Tyson's back, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Yes! I found it!" Tyson grinned triumphantly, as he pulled out a plastic bag. "You see, I had this brilliant idea of having like a 'breaking the ice' gift. Uh…well, I'm not sure if you'll like it though…" he suddenly stammered, staring at the bag. "It's kind of for someone who likes to have fun—wait! No, I mean, that's not what I meant. I'm not saying you don't like to have fun…you just seem the type that wouldn't like this gift because it's kind of spontaneous, and you seem…um…more like the…just…well…here!"

Tyson suddenly stood in front of Kai with the plastic bag shoved in front of his face. Kai lifted an eyebrow. This boy moved surprisingly swift. He took the bag in silence, while Tyson seemed to stare at him in much anticipation. Sighing, Kai half-heartedly reached into the bag and pulled out its contents.

Kai stared at it. "You got me…_Yellow_?" he read the title out loud, peering at the cover with some sort of interest. "What is this? Some kind of manga?"

Tyson's stomach jumped into his throat, and before Kai could blink, he had suddenly snatched the book away from him. His breaths came out in pants, as he held the volume possessively against his chest. Panic-stricken, he seized the plastic bag in Kai's possession, which was probably filled with a few other volumes. Tyson darted back to his mattress, nearly tripping himself over excess baggage that found its way to the floor, and buried the manga back into the depths of his duffel bag.

Kai watched all this, quite confused, aggravated, and most unimpressed.

"What the hell was that for?" he glared. "What happened to your whole 'breaking the ice' theory?" Kai rolled his eyes, shrugging. "Oh. I get it. You were just pretending to be all friendly, right? Well whatever, I don't really care."

Kai turned his back on him and reached for the doorknob, but was caught off guard as his roommate suddenly grabbed his wrist.

"No!" Tyson shouted quickly. "That not it!"

Kai let out a low growl as he snatched his hand back. Whipping around, he gave the freshman an extremely annoyed stare. "Then? What is it?"

"I-It's…it's…I mean…this is…" Tyson struggled with his explanation, avoiding any form of eye contact. This was so goddamn embarrassing! How was he supposed to explain this without making an even bigger fool of himself?

"I'm leaving."

"No! I'll explain!" Tyson quickly protested. He took a deep breath, rationalizing that Kai would probably understand. Maybe. Hopefully. Well he'd better! Giving Kai a fierce and determined look, Tyson clenched his fist. "_Yellow_ is a yaoi manga!" he finally exclaimed.

There was a long silence. They stared at one another. God this was awkward.

"Y-y-yaoi…err… it's a…w-well i-it's when g-guys…they…um…they—"

"I know what it is," Kai cut in, grinding his teeth. "This gift really is for someone _fun and spontaneous_."

"It's not for you though! It's not even mine!" Tyson defended himself. "My friend…she's a yaoi fangirl. She helped me pack. She probably accidentally put it in my bag or something!"

"Right."

"But it's true!"

"Of course it is."

"You don't believe me!"

"Your words, not mine."

"But—!"

"I'm leaving."

Before Tyson could utter another word, Kai was gone. With his shoulders slumped, the freshman dragged himself back to his bed and dropped onto it like lead.

"Ah…somebody kill me," he groaned, smothering a pillow over his face. This was not how he envisioned their first meeting to be like!

* * *

Kai walked down the hallway, took the elevator, and headed outside. He didn't really have something to do, but Tyson had managed to drive him out with his nonstop babbling. He stepped into the bright sunshine and scanned the campus, quickly spotting his redheaded friend. He briskly made his way over to him.

"Hey! Get out of my sunshine," the redhead complained as he looked up from his book to his friend. He was lounging under a tree with his legs crossed lazily.

"You're in the shade, Tala," Kai pointed out flatly. Tala shrugged and marked his page before closing his book. Kai leaned his back against the tree and crossed his arms, closing his eyes.

"You'll never guess what stumbled through my door today," Kai said. Tala lifted his eyes.

"Oh?"

"I got a roommate."

Tala laughed. "Is that such a horrible thing?"

"He's a freshman. He talks. A lot. I mean, he never shuts up."

"What's his name?"

"Tyson Ki…something. It was long and stupid sounding."

"Well, aren't we just a bundle of joy today," Tala chuckled.

Kai gave him a glare. "This isn't funny."

"I never said it was funny." Tala paused for a moment. "Is he cute?"

"Tala! He's like…a child! I can't live with him. It's just not going to work out."

"And why is that?"

"He's loud. He's messy. He's pigheaded. I know his type. Soon he'll try to get me to go out and have some "fun." He'll be obnoxious and pry into my life and try to help me but will end up screwing everything up. I just know it. He's just not someone I can live with. His voice…makes me want to scream. It's actually painful listening to him go on and on. Tala, I felt pain. Literally."

Tala stifled a laugh. Kai shot him another glare. Tala composed himself and shifted his position.

"Well, maybe it won't be so bad. Maybe he'll surprise you. He seems like a nice guy. And hey, cut him some slack. This is his first shot at university life. He's probably really nervous and pretty clueless as to how you act."

"He tried to give me a gift."

"There you go!" Tala grinned. "He doesn't seem so bad."

"It's called _Yellow_. A yaoi manga, to be exact."

Tala lifted his eyebrows. "Hmm."

"He's weird," Kai ground out. "And then he tried to cover up by saying it was his friend's manga. She's supposedly a yaoi fangirl. That's another thing! I know those types, too. She'll probably try something. Something that would annoy me greatly. I can feel it."

"Well, gosh, Kai, you just seem to know everyone's type," Tala drawled. "Would you give the kid a chance?" Then he snickered. "Well, it's not like you have a choice or anything. He's your roommate and he's here to stay."

"Shut…up."

Tala glanced at his watch. "Oh, look at the time. You should be heading back to your room." He grinned at Kai as the other boy gave him a glare of death.

"I hate you."

"You wouldn't want to keep Tyson waiting, now would you?" Tala smiled innocently. Kai pushed himself off the tree trunk and stalked away, leaving Tala laughing rather loudly behind him.

_Stupid idiot_, Kai thought. He has no sympathy!

But as Tala had suggested, Kai headed back to his room. He had to show Tyson who was in charge, after all. He had been there first. Tyson was just an inhabitant—no, a _minion_ in his kingdom. Yes, that sounded about right. Kai reached his door and twisted the knob.

His mouth fell open.

He had been gone for hardly ten minutes. Fifteen at the most. Yet, his room—yes, _his_ room—looked as if a hurricane had hit it. Clothes were strewn about, Tyson's desk was already cluttered, and his suitcases took up much of the floor since they were wide open. Tyson had even managed to unmake his bed without sleeping in it first. Said boy looked up when the door opened.

"Oh, hi," Tyson said quickly. "I was just unpacking a little. Come on in!"

Kai fumed. Tyson was inviting him into his own room! He closed the door behind him and delicately stepped around a heap of clothes.

"You're unpacking _a little_?" Kai asked, incredulous. Tyson nodded.

"Well, most of my stuff is already in my closet, so I guess you could say I'm about done."

"I see. I trust you'll be cleaning up this mess shortly, right?"

Tyson looked around. "What mess? Oh! Well, I guess I could pick up those clothes over there."

Tyson walked over to where Kai was standing and picked up a stack of clothes sitting at his feet. He stumbled over to the closet and dumped them inside, slamming the door shut. He brushed his hands off, laughing as he made his way back to the bed.

"There! I think the room looks—whoa!" His foot caught onto the strap of a bag lying on the ground and he tumbled forward, toppling straight into Kai's arms, who reflexively caught him. His baseball cap was knocked onto the floor.

"Um…" Tyson stammered. "Sorry about that! I wasn't watching where I was going."

Kai released his hold on his roommate and Tyson straightened, scratching the back of his head. Kai reached down and picked up his cap, handing it to him. Tyson took it and thanked Kai, feeling as if they just had a massive breakthrough in their short acquaintance. He was just about to give a hearty laugh, slap Kai on the back, and tell him that living together was going to fun, but Kai sidestepped another pile of Tyson's belongings and went to his desk.

"You're clumsy," he stated, making Tyson feel extremely inferior. Tyson frowned and stuck his tongue out at Kai's back.

_This might take some work_, Tyson thought.

Kai opened a notebook and scanned over a neat page of notes. Mentally, he was cursing his luck.  
_  
There is no way this is ever going to work out_, Kai thought. _He's… annoying!_

**Tsuzuku**

So how was it so far? Let me know what you think (especially since fanfiction dot net got that neat function that actually lets author reply to reviews, heh). Thanks for reading!


	2. The Best Friend and Vase of Death

To kick off 2010, I figured I really should update this. Sorry for the wait! I'm still not used to writing and submitting fanfics again, but I'll update faster next time. Thank you for the patience and interest so far :) Enjoy the chapter—it's extra long. And don't forget, I love feedback (it motivates me)!

**Warnings:** There is shounen-ai, which is slash, which is boy/boy action.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter Two: The Best Friend and Vase of Death**

_I wonder how I'll do this, _Tyson thought to himself, eyeing Kai's back as he plucked pieces of clothing off the floor. _Whatever. I'll think of something. I like a good challenge anyway. Besides, don't they say that best friends fight a lot? This is a good start, _Tyson decided, nodding to himself._  
_

Kai and him would be friends – probably even best friends. The guy was just a little rough around the edges. Maybe Kai acted that way because Tyson was a freshman, and Kai just felt like he was baby-sitting a kid.

Another thought crossed Tyson's mind and he couldn't help but grin. _I can fix that_, Tyson chuckled, sticking more clothes into his close-to-imploding closet. He swaggered to Kai's desk and stood behind him.

Kai exhaled loudly, "Yes?"

"You know, I may be a freshman, but I'm probably close to the same age as you."

Kai's gaze never left his work. "Is that so?"

Tyson nodded. "Cuz I…well I…I didn't exactly get in the first year."

"So you think we don't have much of an age gap because you initially failed the entrance exam and were a ronin for a year?"

Another nod.

Kai rolled his eyes and turned around, finally facing the kid. "I'm still a year older than you. I traveled for a year before coming to university. That makes me twenty-one and you twenty."

Tyson's face faulted. He tilted his head, as if he were pondering something.

"Well actually…"

"What?"

"I'm nineteen." Tyson laughed in a slightly higher pitch that usual. "My birthday's in November," he admitted.

"Nineteen?" Kai repeated, the number sinking into his head. "You really are just a kid. I'm practically two years older than you."

"Two years?! So your birthday's in…um…"

"January." Kai shook his head. It was like spelling things out for a preschooler. But seriously...nineteen? He was still just a teenager! "I need to get back to work," Kai finally announced, turning back to his papers. "Don't talk to me unless it's an emergency."

Tyson stood there for a moment, watching Kai, who already seemed to be absorbed in his studies. _I wonder if he's like this all the time,_ he mused. _I have to get to know him better. I mean, we're roomies. Shouldn't we get better acquainted? Doesn't he want to know anything about me?  
_  
The bluenette let out a long sigh, heading back to his bed. He officially concluded that the bonding process would take a while with this one. For now, he learned that silence was golden—at least that was one thing Tyson knew that Kai liked. With that decided, he grabbed the bright blue ipod shuffle that he thoughtlessly left on the floor and lay onto his messy bed. Silence would be easy.

"Tyson! Are you in there?! Open up this door right now!"

Tyson and Kai's heads jerked to the door, which suddenly had a very loud and incessant banging against it.

"Tyson, you jerk! Don't you pretend you're not there! Open up, or I swear I'll break it down!"

Kai glanced at the said boy. "Friend of yours?"

Avoiding Kai's question, Tyson's cheeks flushed as he bounced off his bed and dashed to the door. That wailing could only be from one person. He swung the door open and was greeted with a terrifying glare of death.

"Why hello Tyson," she spoke to him in a disturbingly calm tone. Tyson opened his mouth to reply, but ended up rambling incoherently and finally just began to laugh.

"Ahahahaha! H-hey Hilary! W-what's up?"

She tilted her head innocently and spoke with a sugary voice. This scared Tyson. Greatly.

"Say, do you happen to have something of mine with you? Hm?"

"I…well I…" He knew what she wanted, but when she got like this, it _terrified_ him, and he could never say things properly.

"You. Well. You. What?" she spat back.

_Uh-oh…she's getting mad again._ Tyson inwardly groaned. _Damnit! I hate it when she's like this!_

"I…it's…I'll just…"

"Speak. Properly. Boy," she hissed.

_Oh God…she's going to kill me any second now._

"Tyson…" she tried in a calmer voice. "I am not in the mood for this right now."

A brilliant idea suddenly flashed in the teen's head. He figured that if he couldn't speak right, perhaps he could use actions instead. _Yes…that'll work!_ Tyson stepped back and was about to get Hilary's precious manga, but was immediately yanked back towards her.

"Where do you think you're going?" she seethed, grapping his shirt possessively. "You're not going anywhere until you tell me where my _Yellow_ is!" Tyson tried to answer, but only managed a pathetic squeak. "I'm going to _murder you_ if you don't say anything," she growled.

_This is it,_ Tyson gave in_. I knew this day would eventually come, but not so soon! I didn't even get to experience university yet! Kai and I haven't gotten to bond! I had so many_—

"Is this what you're looking for?"

Tyson blinked. The two at the doorway slowly looked towards the new voice, and there stood Kai, holding a bag in one hand and one of the books in the other. Hilary promptly dropped Tyson's shirt and floated to where Kai was standing.

"Ah! There it is!" she grinned, taking her beloved possessions from the dual-haired boy. "Thanks a lot Kai!" Hilary cheerfully turned her heal and was about to skip past Tyson.

But she then she stopped. She stood there for a moment and Tyson watched her initially blissful expression change into confusion. Slowly, she turned around and did a double take on Kai's presence, her eyes growing bigger.

"_K-Kai_?! What are you doing here?!"

"I'd ask you the same thing, but I already know." Kai allowed himself to walk over to where the two were standing. He noted that even compared to Hilary, Tyson looked utterly confused and lost. So like a child. "So you're that 'yaoi fangirl friend' he was talking about earlier," he addressed Hilary. "Does Max know about this hobby of yours?"

Hilary nodded with a smile. "Of course he does! Now, are you gonna tell me what the school's number one prick is doing here?" Before Kai could reply, her eyes suddenly lit up and her attention swerved to Tyson. "Tyson, you sly dog!" she laughed, patting him on the back. "It's only your first day and you already managed to bag yourself a total hottie? You lucky bastard," she winked, totally oblivious to the increasingly alarmed expressions on both Tyson and Kai's faces. "I gotta warn you though, he can be pretty stingy when it comes to action. However, I'm sure that with the way you are, you'll be able to get him to do anything!"

_Kill me. Please kill me now,_ Tyson pleaded.

Gathering all his strength, he somehow managed to object, "Th-that's not it! We're just roomates."

"Oh? Even better," she smirked. "Privacy of your own room, ne?"

"No! We're not involved in any way! I don't even know him that well!"

"Oh, silly me!" Hilary hit her forehead. "Of course Tyson. You _definitely _should get to know him first." She lowered her voice and added, "It'll make it much more enjoyable that way." Hilary winked, right before grabbing Tyson's head and jerking it to where Kai was standing very still and quite possibly traumatized for life. "I'll tell you one thing though...Kai's got this body that only sculptors can create. Be strong Tyson. But if you can't resist," she sighed dramatically and pat Tyson's back, "I won't blame you."

Tyson urged another protest to come of his mouth, but failed.

"Oh and Kai…" Hilary skipped to where Kai was and pointed at her distressed best friend. "I know he may not look like much on the outside, but damn! I can safely say that underneath those clothes, he can easily rival you."

"S-Stop it!"

Hilary averted her attention back to Tyson, who was dying of humiliation.

"What? You don't find him attractive?"

"He is! I mean, no, I don't! I really don't! Damnit Hil! I already told you—"

"Calm down Tyson," she cut in, smiling playfully. Walking past Kai, she sat down on Tyson's bed. "I was just teasing you two, but wow…I didn't think you guys would take it so seriously! You two look like you're about to—"

"Stop!"

Hilary grinned sweetly. This was too much fun.

Kai and Tyson stared at the brunette with a mix of enmity and shame. She somehow managed to steal their pride, put it in a pretty box, tie it with a shiny red bow, and prance around the room with it like a fairy!

"You know… you guys are probably reacting like this because you actually do want to—"

"Out. Now."

"So he does speak," Hilary giggled at Kai's words. She was used to them after all, considering how Max was his roommate last year. And to think that Kai would be rooming with her best friend! Oh what a small world they lived in. "I'll see you two later then!"

Hilary danced out of the room, leaving the pair to each other. _I can't wait to tell Max about this!_ she thought excitedly, walking on air through the hallway. Looking back, she realized something else. _Hm…now they're alone._ She smirked. _What a yummy predicament._

* * *

The room was quiet after Hilary closed the door. Tyson bit his lip and looked up at Kai, who glared at him accusingly.

"I hate you, and I hate your friend," Kai said, crossing his arms. Tyson pouted.

"Hey, that's not fair! You don't even know me."

Kai snorted. "Okay, let's get a couple of things straight. I am a good two years older than you; therefore, I am smarter than you. This was also my room first; therefore, I get precedence over just about everything."

"That is so unfair, I don't even know where to begin!" Tyson butted in.

"One thing I'm stuck with is you. That's irreversible," Kai went on as if Tyson hadn't spoken. "Hilary. You have to control her. She absolutely cannot come barging in here—like she just did—at all hours of the day. I don't care how close you two are."

"You act like I wanted her to come embarrass me," Tyson muttered. "I can't control that girl."

"Two." Kai swept an arm out, signifying Tyson's belongings. "Your crap is taking up entirely too much space."

"It's not crap!"

"Clean it up."

"I did!"

"This is your idea of clean? Were you raised by wolves?"

Tyson was about to lash out with an insult to defend himself when he looked around at his stuff. He cocked his head, thinking. Maybe he could tidy it up a tiny bit…

"Well, fine. I'll move it a little."

"A lot."

"Whatever!"

Kai sighed and sat back down at his desk. It took Tyson a moment to realize that Kai was done conversing with him, so he continued to arrange his belongings. After picking all his clothes off the floor and stuffing them in his closet—which was at the point of explosion—he decided to make his desk look like home. He reached into a small carry-on bag and pulled out a framed photograph of his grandpa whacking him with a kendo stick and set it lovingly on the desk where he could see it at all times.

Kai leaned back in his chair and swiveled it around, eliciting a small squeaking sound from the chair. He crossed his ankles and absently gazed at Tyson's desk. His eyes fell upon the picture.

"You practice kendo?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"Huh?" Tyson followed Kai's gaze to the picture. "Oh, yeah, that. Yeah, I do."

Kai raised his eyebrows slightly, filing that little piece of information into the back of his mind.

"That's my grandpa," Tyson said, pointing him out. Kai turned back around.

"I didn't ask, nor do I care."

Tyson felt like throwing a book at his head. He fumed. "You know, I'm making an effort to be nice."

"How wonderful for you." Kai's lazily turned a page in his book and scanned it. Before Tyson lost his temper, Kai's cell phone buzzed. Kai flipped it open.

"What?"

Tyson snorted. _Why can't he answer his phone like a normal person?_ he asked himself.

"Oh, hi, Tala. I'm still mad at you. …Oh, he's here… why would you want to talk to him? …To warn him about me? That's it, I'm hanging up. …Yes, I am. …Yeah, Hilary does know him… she came charging in here like an animal earlier… tell Max to do something about her, I can't stand her."

"Hi, I would appreciate it if you didn't talk about me while I'm sitting right here," Tyson said loudly.

"Yeah, that was him… I don't know, I wasn't listening… if you want to talk to him so badly, then just—"

The door opened and Tala appeared, his cell phone still to his ear.

"Hi, Kai. How's my favorite little jackass doing today?" he asked with a huge grin on his face. Kai sighed irritably and snapped his phone shut, turning back to his book. Tyson looked at the redhead curiously.

"You must be Tyson." Tala extended a hand. "I've heard sooo much about you from Kai."

Tyson shook it. "Like what?" he asked suspiciously.

"Well, that you're loud, obnoxious, pushy… hmm, I could be describing Hilary," Tala mused. Tyson stifled a laugh and Tala went on. "Just so you know, I'm Max's roommate. You know Max, right? Hilary's boyfriend?"

"Yeah."

Kai cleared his throat. "I'm trying to concentrate."

"Oh, don't be such a stick in the mud." Tala waved a dismissive hand at his friend. "I'm getting to know your little roomie, here."

Kai sighed, tossing his pen onto his notebook and rubbing his eyes. "I can tell you about him. He's messy, he's annoying, and he's still a teenager."

Tala looked down at him. "A teenager?"

"Yeah, well, I'm still nineteen," Tyson said sheepishly. "But it's not like it's my fault, or anything!"

Kai rolled his eyes. "Oh, yes, how could we ever blame you for anything?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Tyson grabbed the pillow off his bed and chucked it at Kai. Tala caught it in midair with an amused expression on his face.

"Now, now, let's not throw pillows at Kai." He leaned down to Tyson's level. "He can be very touchy," he said in a loud stage whisper. Kai shot a death-glare at him. Tala grinned and lightly threw the pillow back on the bed. His eyes caught onto the picture on Tyson's table.

"Oh! You practice kendo, little Tyson?"

Tyson looked confused at the 'little' attached to his name, but nodded anyway. Tala clapped his hands together in delight.

"Well, what do you know? Kai does, too!"

"He does? Hey, Kai, we should have a match sometime!" Tyson jumped up and began sparring with the air with an imaginary kendo stick in his hands. "I would so kick your ass!"

"Somehow, I highly doubt that," Kai said, watching him make a fool of himself.

"Hi-yaaa!" Tyson began bouncing around the room. Kai gave Tala a look and the redhead threw his hands up innocently.

"I didn't do anything," Tala said. Kai was about to say something when a crash came from Tyson's side of the room. Both heads turned.

"I'm okay!" Tyson yelled. "I'm not so sure about this vase, though…"

"Whoa. You just broke one of Kai's vases," Tala stated, peering down. Kai growled and stomped to where Tyson was trying not to get stabbed by a shard of glass.

Tyson looked down at the wreckage. "Um… I can fix this."

"How?" Kai demanded incredulously. "It's shattered!"

"That was one of his favorite vases," Tala put in unhelpfully.

"Oh… gee, I'm really sorry, Kai." Tyson picked up a large glass chip and peered at it. "'Made in France,'" he read aloud. "Did you get this while you were traveling?"

"Actually, I did." Kai crossed his arms and glared down at him. "That means you can't replace it here."

"I'm really, really, really sorry! I'll make it up to you, I promise! Uh… I'll think of something. Or you can think of something."

"I've got something. How about you move out?"

Tala snickered. Tyson frowned.

"Think of something else," he said. Kai let his breath out exasperatingly and stalked back to his desk. Tala clasped his hands behind his back.

"I think you pissed him off," he whispered.

Tyson glanced at Kai before meeting Tala's impartial gaze. "Tell me something I don't know." He let out a low groan as he stared at the broken vase, before kneeling down and gingerly collecting the once valuable object.

Tala watched the kid, feeling slight pity for him. Yet at the same time, it took a great deal of his strength to keep himself from laughing. This was all rather entertaining. In fact, ever since Kai turned bastard in junior high, Tala couldn't imagine him any other way.

"You'll get used to it," Tala said, holding out a wastebasket to Tyson. "I'd tell you that he's not like this all the time, but then I'd be lying," he added, raising an eyebrow.

"Gee, thanks for the encouragement." Tyson sighed, as he carefully tossed the unfortunate vase into the trash. They seemed to make a delicate clink as they landed inside. This seemed to hit a nerve in Kai.

"I really liked that vase."

"I already told you I was sorry," Tyson shot back. "And I already said that I'd make it up to you. Just tell me something that I can do."

"That's exactly the problem. There is nothing that you can do," Kai bluntly stated. He swung his chair around so he could face the vase destroyer. "You know that the vase is irreplaceable, unless you'd like to fly to France and get me another one. You have nothing to offer me. The only thing I want is for you to move out, but you obviously are unwilling to do so."

Tyson shot daggers at him. _I would if I had a choice_.

Here he was, trying his best to fix things, and all Kai could do was complain! What more did the sophomore want from him?

The teenager closed his eyes as he turned his back on Kai and began to massage his temples. All of this was gradually beginning to take a toll on him. He usually got along with others quite easily, but Kai…well Kai was just plain difficult!

"Look," Tyson slowly began, sounding strangely composed. "I know that you and I got off on the wrong foot, but can't we just forget about the whole thing and start over again?"

Kai scoffed, causing Tyson's quick temper to kick in. "Oh sure. I'll just pretend that my vase magically disappeared into thin air."

Tyson flung his hands into air in frustration.

"Will you just drop it about the vase already?!"

"Apparently you've already taken care of that for me."

"But I didn't do it on purpose!"

"That doesn't change the fact that you broke it."

Tyson was starting to see red. "Is a vase the only thing that you actually care about?!"

"In this room…yes."

Tyson let out a loud, aggravated growl before stomping over to his bed and collapsing into it noisily, subsequently receiving another retort from Kai.

"You really were raised by wolves."

Tyson shot Kai one more glare before snatching the ipod shuffle he was going to listen to earlier and quickly slipped the headphones on. Then he indifferently rolled onto his side; Kai simply went back to his reading.

Tala observed the sulking teenager for a moment before he shook his head and quietly made his way over to Kai. This was getting a little bit out of hand.

"Hey Kai," he began in a hushed voice. "You think maybe you're being a bit too hard on the little guy?"

"I don't care. He broke my vase," he firmly restated, as if breaking the exclusive item had sealed Tyson's fate. "You have any idea how much that cost me Tala?"

Tala looked back at the garbage can and rolled his eyes. "You realize that it's just a vase, Kai. I don't know why you're getting so worked up about it. In fact, you're acting like such a gi—"

Kai snapped his book shut, which was an obvious signal for Tala to stop speaking. His friend sighed in response. Absently, Tala looked away from Kai and was partially stunned to see that Tyson was out of his bed and was actually sitting at his desk.

_When did he get there?_ Tala asked himself. He couldn't recall hearing him making any sounds.

The redhead smoothly strolled over to the left side—Tyson's side—of the room. He looked over the boy's shoulder and saw that he was writing fervently on lined paper. It appeared to be some kind of letter.

"Who are you writing to?"

Tyson looked up in surprise; apparently he was unaware of Tala's sudden presence.

"Oh! Um…just my grandpa," he replied with a grin, his tone somewhat nostalgic. "He's probably wondering how I'm holding up here. He was kind of reluctant to let me leave home because he didn't think I could manage on my own."

"I wonder gave him that idea," came the inevitable remark.

Tyson gripped the side of his chair. He just managed to calm himself down, and Kai was already pushing his buttons. He groaned, feeling frustrated and annoyed at himself for feeling frustrated.

"Kai."

Tyson blinked and glanced up beside him. Tala had his arms crossed and was giving Kai somewhat of a bored look. Kai didn't say anything. Rather, he broke the gaze and returned to the new book he picked up. Tala turned back to Tyson.

"Don't let it bug you so much," he said with a small laugh. "He doesn't mean anything personally. He says all these things, but once you get to know him, he's as harmless as a kitten." Tyson couldn't help but laugh. Kai? A kitten? No way. "Oh, and forget about the vase," he added with a wink. "Kai's a rich boy. His family's loaded. He can probably get a new one shipped privately on a jet and have it here in a matter of days."

"Tala."

Tyson averted his gaze to the other side of the room. His roommate seemed to be giving Tala the same look that he had given to Kai earlier, though Tala seemed unaffected.

"Well it's true."

"That's not the point."

An awkward silence drifted over the room, or at least that's how it felt like for Tyson. The two older boys, on the other hand, seemed to be silently conversing with one another though their stares.

_How often do they do this? _Tyson wondered to himself.

Finally, Tala seemed to end their unspoken exchange and turned to Tyson causally.

"Why don't we go for a little walk?" he offered.

Tyson tilted his head, taking in the proposal. A walk did seem kind of nice, and he wasn't quite sure were everything was located yet anyway. Besides, Tyson was getting kind of hungry. Plus, a little time-out from Mr. Friendly was, at this point, desperately needed…

"Sure," Tyson finally answered. Pushing himself out of his chair, he followed Tala through the door. Tyson could hear a loud sigh of relief behind him as he and Tala stepped in the hall, but decided to ignore it.

Tyson trailed behind Tala, who had decided to turn left, opposite to the exit of the building. He figured this was probably the direction to the dorm common room and cafeteria or something of the sort.

But then Tyson stopped. Tala noticed the cease of the footsteps behind him and turned around.

"Something wrong?"

Tyson promptly snapped out of his daze and laughed.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "I'm just hungry is all," he added with a grin.

Tala nodded and continued towards the common room. The freshman followed, wondering why he suddenly felt the need to go back to the dorm. Pinching his arm, Tyson pushed the ridiculous idea aside and went along silently. All that would be waiting for him in the room would be another round of conflict named Kai.

**Tsuzuku**

Happy New Year everyone and thanks for reading!


	3. Sleepless Beauty

Spring is a time of change, so what better time to update a story? My apologies for making you wait, but at least it wasn't as long as last time. Thank you for the patience and interest so far :) Enjoy the chapter – not as much hilarious action, but it was still fun to write. And don't forget, I love feedback (it motivates me)!

**Warnings:** There is shounen-ai, which is slash, which is boy/boy action.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter Three: Sleepless Beauty**

Tyson and Tala strolled down the hall and ended up in front of the cafeteria doors. Tala shrugged and looked at Tyson.

"Hungry?"

"Sure." Tyson smiled and felt a little better. Food did that to him.

The two went inside and Tyson proceeded to buy an enormous amount of food while Tala, having already eaten, paid for a diet Pepsi. They sat down. Tyson began to stuff his face, while Tala twisted the cap off and brought the bottle to his lips.

"So, Kai told me this is your very first day at Aoki University," Tala began.

Tyson nodded. "It hasn't exactly gone how I planned, though."

"What were you expecting?"

"Not too much, but I did expect a nicer roommate. Someone that's possible to live with, at least." Tyson made a face.

"Aw, come on, now. Kai's not so bad."

"You're right. He's worse."

Tala smiled. "Once you get to know him, he's really nice. Well… you learn how to interpret his insults, at least."

"He hates me. Nothing's going to change that, not after I broke his _precious _vase," Tyson mocked.

"He'll get over it. It's just a vase, and like I said: Kai's rich. I think he used you breaking his vase as an excuse to just get on your tail. He's not exactly a people-person."

"Tell me about it!"

Tala tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, he hasn't exactly had the easiest life, either."

Tyson snorted. "It couldn't have been that bad. I mean c'mon, he's rich, he's smart, and he's got looks. What more do you need? He just doesn't like me, plain and simple."

"He doesn't have any parents. Grew up without 'em." Tala took another swig from his drink. Tyson was unmoved.

"I didn't grow up with mine, either. Big deal."

"His grandfather is an even bigger bastard than he is."

"That's hard to believe."

Tala shrugged. "He'll grow onto you, I promise."

"Whatever. How'd you become his friend?" Tyson asked.

"Oh, I'm just me. It'll take you about a decade to get where we are now." Tala grinned. Tyson shook his head.

"Gee, thanks. I'll only have to put up with him for ten years before I can become his friend. Why does he hate me so much?"

"Kid, he doesn't hate you."

Tyson gave him a look. "Stare me straight in the eye and say that," he challenged.

Tala rolled his eyes. "I'm telling you, he doesn't hate you. No matter what he says, he doesn't hate you. He's just pissed is all. I think he liked living by himself."

"I'm surprised he hasn't been through a string of roommates. I can just imagine him driving every single one out."

Tala laughed. "He just doesn't trust people very easily. You guys'll warm up to each other eventually. Give it some time."

Tyson groaned and picked up the remains of his meal, which was just the tray and a wad of napkins. He tossed it into a trashcan and Tala stood up, holding his bottle.

"Shall we go back?"

Tyson looked at him. "Go back? What for? I don't want to see Kai!"

"You're gonna have to at some point. He is your roommate, after all."

Tyson sighed. "Must you keep reminding me?"

"Look, you've been here for all of one day. I know first impressions count a lot, but just stick it out a little longer. I think you'll be surprised. Like I said, give it some time."

Tyson pondered over his words for a moment. "Well, I guess I can't base my entire attitude of this place on my very first day, huh?"

"Absolutely."

"Fine. Let's go back."

"It's getting a bit late, anyway," Tala commented. Tyson glanced at his watch.

"Whoa—you're right." He looked up and Tala shrugged. They both walked back to the dormitories and Tyson found the door unlocked. He pushed it open and went inside, Tala trailing at his heels.

"Oh, Kai! We're home," Tala announced loudly.

Kai spared him a glance. He was still at his desk, but this time writing something. "Wonderful, but Tala, you don't live here. Sorry."

Tala pouted. "Humph. I should go back to my own room. I'm sure Max'll be happy to see me, unlike my so-called best friend."

Tyson went to his bed, noticing Kai didn't say anything to him. _Hmm, maybe he's giving me the silent treatment, _he thought. The lights in the room were on, and Tyson peeked out of the window. A soft pinkish-purple color tinted the sky. He smiled.

"So, Kai, you want to go clubbing with me sometime?" Tala asked randomly.

Kai's answer was brusque. "No."

"Why not?" Tala whined.

"You embarrass me."

"Well, to hell with you, then." Tala turned to Tyson. "You want to come?"

"Where?" Tyson asked.

"Clubbing with yours truly!" Tala flashed a grin.

Tyson laughed. "No, it's okay. That's not really my thing." Tyson waited for the obligatory sarcastic remark from Kai, and looked at him when none came. Tala shrugged and strolled to the door.

"Well, I'll be seeing you later, kid. See ya, Kai."

Kai waved him off in an offhand way and Tala shut the door gently behind him. Tyson swallowed, not exactly sure if Kai was still mad at him, but not willing to ask. His belongings were all unpacked by now, and he slid his suitcases underneath his bed. Kai shifted in his chair and rested his cheek against his hand as he continued to write.

_Maybe he just doesn't want to be disturbed,_ Tyson thought. _He's probably doing something important. _

Tyson stayed put for a moment, and then strayed over to give the bathroom a look. He went inside and found it neat, clean, and furnished rather nicely with soft rugs and tasteful wallpaper. He poked his head inside the shower and found a bottle of strawberries n' crème shampoo with matching light pink conditioner. The soap was also pink and Tyson wondered if he might have stumbled upon Kai's favorite color.

"You can go ahead and use the shower, you know," Kai voice came from behind him. Tyson turned around and found Kai standing in the doorway, pen in hand. "This place is yours, too, after all."

"Um… okay." Tyson nodded, not really knowing what else to say_. Does this mean that he's not still mad at me?_ he asked himself. Kai turned around and went back to his desk, and Tyson closed the bathroom door and got ready to take a nice, warm shower. His first day had been… different… but he was feeling a little better than before. After all, Tala seemed really nice and willing to help him out, and Tyson was determined to make his first home away from home memorable. In a good way.

Half an hour later he stumbled out of the bathroom, steam billowing behind him. Kai looked up at the sudden feel of damp air and clicked his pen against his teeth absently. Tyson was dressed for bed, and he dumped all his stuff onto the table and headed for his mattress. He took notice of the fact that Kai was still working, so he pulled the sheets over his head to block out the lights.

Kai flicked on a small desk lamp and switched off the lights for the benefit of his roommate. Tyson peeked out from underneath and decided to venture into uncharted territory.

"Hey, Kai… how long are you planning to stay up?" he asked, hoping that he wouldn't start screaming at him about the vase.

"Is this light bothering you, too?" Kai asked. Tyson heard him stop writing.

"Oh, no, it's fine! I was just wondering…"

"Just go to sleep." Kai's pen started up again. Tyson paused and then shrugged. Since Kai didn't seem so pissed anymore, he wasn't going to be the one to work his nerves again. He turned over and snuggled down into the bed. _Dear Grandpa,_ he thought sleepily. _University life is different. I met my roommate today…  
_  
Steam curled from the mug of hot coffee sitting on the desk next to the lamp. Kai was settling down and preparing to pull another all-nighter when he heard Tyson begin to snore. Loudly. His eyebrow twitched and he gripped his pen in aggravation.

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Just wonderful." Kai took in a nice, long deep breath. He was going to stay calm. He was not going to get annoyed. He was going to be like the gentle pond on a peaceful summer day. Yes, that's what he was going to do.

Tyson's snoring amplified.

Kai concluded that wolves truly did raise the boy. It was humanly impossible for a sound like that to come out of any normal person. It reminded Kai of the small earthquakes in California; the only difference was that the earthquake was not personally in his own room when he was trying to write an essay about censorship in the government.

Kai was a pre-law major. He was determined to become a successful lawyer, achieve great wealth and status on his own and then eventually break all ties with his grandfather, Voltaire Hiwatari, head of Biovolt Corporation. The man who had probably conducted every scandalous thing you could think of. He had done everything and anything and all for "the glorious position that Biovolt has now." Or at least that what his grandfather always said.

Kai hated it.

All that man knew how to do was use and manipulate. The only other person who could rival him was Boris, his little pet dog. All he cared about was power. In fact, Kai knew that Boris was planning to take over Biovolt. Voltaire knew too, but it never bothered him the least. If anything, he found Boris's treacherous ideas even more of a reason for him to be second authority.

Kai sighed as he took another sip of his coffee, Tyson still snoring a marathon. He wondered if he had any painkillers left; he could feel a migraine on its way. He opened one of his drawers to find nothing but an empty bottle of aspirin. He ultimately decided to splash some water on his face.

The sophomore tiptoed to the bathroom. He wasn't sure why he was trying to be quiet, considering how not even a hurricane could probably wake up the freshman. Oh well. Walking into the bathroom, he noted that the mirror was still somewhat fogged up from Tyson's shower. He gently closed the door, which muffled the sound of Tyson's snoring. Kai was grateful. Turning back to the mirror, Kai quirked an eyebrow noticing that Tyson had drawn pictures on it. They were slightly faded forcing Kai to squint a little to make them out.

The middle one looked like it was bouncing. He assumed that was the artist. The one beside it had hearts around it and looked like it was clutching onto something. That had to be Hilary. On the far left was something that looked like it had devil horns, and it had "Ha ha ha ha!" messily written beside its head. Kai smirked. Tala. Next to Tala was a figure bent over, fawning over multiple random shapes. Kai rolled his eyes. Three guesses as to who that would be and what it was doing.

Kai finally turned his attention away from the doodles and twisted on the faucet. He splashed some cold water on his face, which immediately woke him up. He could definitely do this. He was used to pulling off all-nighters. Max always got on his back last year saying that it wasn't good for him, but that didn't stop him. Kai was smart and he was going to keep it that way. Who needs sleep anyway?

Kai opened the door and was greeted by Tyson's snoring in all its glory._ Oh right. Him. _He was beginning to wonder whether he would actually be able to work like this. Maybe he should give the kid a good smack. Subtle? No. But probably quite effective. Just as Kai's mind was coming up with more creative ideas, there was a soft knock at the door.

_What the hell? It's past 1am!_ Kai stared at the door in disbelief. _Hm. Maybe Tala's back from clubbing…no…that can't be right. Tala doesn't usually come back until at least three. Besides, he knows that I'd kill him if he randomly burst in at this time._

"Hey Kai," came a loud whisper from the other side of the door. "Open up."

It was a girl's voice. Kai's eyes turned into slits.

"We're sleeping."

"You sound pretty awake to me!"

"Go away. I'm busy."

There was a brief pause.

"Do you really think you can get your stuff done with Tyson snoring in the background?"

_Damn her. She's right,_ Kai grudgingly agreed. Kai groaned, dragged himself to the door, and opened it. Hilary gave Kai a friendly smile before curtly walking past him. She quickly grabbed the chair at Tyson's desk and quietly brought it beside his bed. Kai went back to his desk.

"I want you to out of here. Soon."

"Just hold on a second," Hilary replied inattentively, busy looking through the small bag she brought with her. "I thought you would appreciate my help."

"Oh yes. I really appreciated you barging in the room and putting us in that beautiful situation."

Hilary let out a soft giggle. "Please. Don't tell me your still mad about that. Besides, you know that I wouldn't normally do that." She stopped to think for a moment. "Well, not to you at least," she corrected herself. "How was I supposed to know that you were Tyson's roommate?"

Kai humphed. "Just hurry up." Kai turned back to his paper, and after what seemed like a few seconds, he heard a slight squeak from Hilary. "What did you do now?" he asked with a sigh, swinging his chair around.

"My pen seems to have exploded," Hilary answered awkwardly. She was holding a pen with one hand, while her other was tainted with black ink. "Crappy pen. You mind if I use the bathroom?"

Kai shook his head and waved dismissively, signifying that it was okay. Hilary sighed and headed for the bathroom, leaving the bag behind. She grabbed the pink soap and washed her hands thoroughly. She noticed the almost completely faded doodles on the mirror and smiled. Tyson. As she dried her hands, she couldn't help but notice the new batch of pink bathroom accessories. Hilary strolled back into the room with an obvious smirk.

"You really do like pink, huh Kai?" she teased.

"You know that I didn't buy those."

"Oh right, please excuse me," she apologized in mock sincerity. "How many possible fiancées do you have anyway?"

"I don't know."

"Has it ever occurred to you to tell your grandfather to stop finding you all these rich girls to marry?" Hilary sauntered back over to Kai's bed and sat down.

"He could care less about my opinion. You know that."

"Yeah, yeah…" Hilary replied with a nod. "But still, I don't know why you tell those girls that your favourite colour is pink. They just keep giving you more and more pink gifts!"

Kai scoffed. "I told myself that the first girl who realizes that I'm joking when I say that is the girl I'll agree on marrying."

"Why am I not surprised? Oh! I almost forgot." Hilary began digging into her bag again and pulled out a bottle of Tylenol. "This is from me and Max," she announced, holding it out to him. Kai accepted the gift. "And…" The brunette went bag into her pouch. "This is from me." She held out a blank CD to him.

"What is this?"

"A little apology for earlier," she admitted. "Play the sixth song. It'll stop him from snoring so loudly. Technically, all you really have to do is turn him on his side, but Tyson gets rather violent when you try to do that," she put in, probably recalling a memory.

"I see."

A playful smile suddenly swept onto Hilary's face. "You wanna see something cute Kai?"

"Judging from your face, no."

"Oh come on. I'm sure you'll find it amusing."

Before Kai could reply, Hilary had skipped over to Tyson's bed. Carefully, she pulled down his covers just below his abdomen. She threw Kai a quick glance before she began to gently pet Tyson's tummy.

Kai blinked in confusion. "What are you—"

"Shhh!" she cut him off. "Listen."

They stayed quiet for a moment. Kai noticed that Tyson has stopped snoring. _Wait a minute!_ he thought to himself. _I am __**not **__going to pet his stomach just to—  
_  
Then he heard it. Kai shook his head in disbelief.

"Is he…is he purring?"

Hilary nodded, now tracing circles on her best friend's stomach. "He's been doing this since we were little…I don't know why though." She laughed softly. "It's cute though, isn't it?"

Kai ignored her question. "How do you know about this?" Hilary opened her mouth to reply, but the sophomore spoke again. "Actually, I don't want to know."

"Do you wanna try?"

"No."

"Oh come on. Just one itty-bitty little pet?"

"No."

Hilary pouted. "You know…" she began thoughtfully, lifting an eyebrow. "You might have to do this one day," she stated, eliciting a slight flinch from Kai.

"No. Stop asking. In fact, I think it's time you—"

"Put in the CD," Hilary butt in. "Remember, track six." She absently watched Tyson's sleeping face and couldn't help but smile. "He's less disturbing when he's just purring, don't you think?"

Kai, once again, ignored her last comment and slipped the CD into his laptop on his desk. He searched for track six, and soon enough, the soft air of music drifted over the quiet room. It was soothing.

"What is this?"

"Sleepless Beauty Sacred Air version. It's from the _Gravitation_ anime original sound track," she explained. "_Gravitation_ is another—"

"I know what it is," Kai cut in.

Hilary winked, "Oh, I bet you do."

Kai was about to give some kind of retort, when he heard movement from Tyson's bed. The said boy groaned softly before turning onto his side, facing away from the wall.

"I told you it would quiet him down. You see, he fell asleep on the couch once at my house while it was playing," she explained helpfully. "You know, if you ever need to know anything about him, just ask me. I know that Ty can be a pain sometimes, especially for someone like you, but he really is a wonderful person if you just give him half a chance. He's a lot more than you think."

Kai gave her a dry look. "Sure."

"You'll see." Hilary got up and put her bag over her shoulder. She then grabbed the chair she had taken earlier and quietly put it back in place. "Oh and good luck with that paper. Try to get just a few hours of sleep, okay? We don't want you collapsing from exhaustion."

"Yeah, yeah."

"I'm serious." She gave him a hard look, reminding Kai of something that happened last year with Max. "Anyway, good night." She began heading for the door. "Oh and Kai! Don't tell Tyson he purrs, ne? It'll embarrass him. I've never told him…so he doesn't know." Kai's nonexistent vocal reply was probably a yes. She waved at him before silently slipping out the door.

Kai stared at the door for a moment, before his gaze wandered to his sleeping roommate. So far, Tyson seemed to be a typical loud-mouthed and annoying teenager. This kid had disturbed the order of his room and broke his vase. No, he didn't hate him... just irritated.

Kai shrugged and turned back to his paper full of brainstorming. Soon, all Kai was listening to were the sounds his pen and laptop speakers. The song really did have a nice melody. He looked over his shoulder, still surprised at how quiet Tyson was.

_A lot more than I think, huh? Hm. We'll see._

**Tsuzuku**


	4. Hate Doesn't Cut It

Wow. It's been almost a year since I updated, and I'm so sorry for the long hiatus. Long story short, I used to live in Canada. Then I moved to Japan last summer to teach English to high school kids. Needless to say, my life has turned upside down, and I love every minute of it. If you are still reading, I'm sorry again for the long wait. This chapter is monstrously long, so I hope that's a little consolation. Thank you for still reading and please enjoy and review the chapter!

**Warnings:** There is shounen-ai, which is slash, which is boy/boy action.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Beyblade or any of its characters.

**Chapter Four: Hate Doesn't Cut It**

Sunlight filtered through the blinds, cascading rays onto the sleeping figures of Kai and Tyson. Sometime around 5:30 in the morning, Kai had finished gathering research for a group project and decided to get a bit of sleep. Though by the time he actually fell asleep, the sun was already tickling the night sky with faint pinkish light. As usual, Kai left the stereo on throughout the night, and the tinkling of the music drifted in the room.

**Beeeep! Beeeep! Beeeep!**

Kai's mauve eyes jerked open, his heart racing. He hadn't used an alarm clock in years—not since he had discovered that he found it impossible to sleep past nine in the morning. Kai sat up, rubbed his eyes, and glared at the lump on the other bed.

_Tyson._

The alarm clock next to Tyson's bed blared like a banshee, while Tyson just lay there. Kai looked at the clock: 7:56.

_Ugh…again?_ Kai groaned. He gritted his teeth as the noise continued and fumed over the fact that Tyson's alarm clock always woke _him_ up instead of Tyson.

"Tyson!" There was no movement from the boy and Kai wondered for a moment if he had died during the night. "Tyson!"

The noise seemed to be getting louder and louder. Tyson smacked his mouth and turned over, still asleep. Kai groaned and reached over to his lamp stand. He found a thick book and without any hesitation at the thought of how much damage he could inflict, threw it at the younger boy. Then Kai watched in disbelief as it conked Tyson right in the head, eliciting not so much as a grunt from him.

"That kid is practically comatose when he sleeps," Kai muttered.

The alarm kept shrieking. Suddenly Tyson sat up and put a hand to his head.

"Ugh…my head hurts!" Tyson moaned.

"Turn your damn alarm clock off!" Kai demanded. _He reacts slowly,_ he observed. _To the extreme._

Tyson paused, gathering his bearings for a moment. Kai flopped back onto his bed, putting his hands over his ears. The sound was giving him a headache, and he wondered whether he still had any of the Tylenol Hilary had given him last week.

The noise finally stopped as Tyson pushed a button and Kai let out a sigh of relief. Silence filled the room, along with the faint strains of the stereo.

"Um… sorry about that," Tyson offered lamely.

Kai sighed again and sat up. He doubt he could get back to sleep at this rate. He pushed his bangs away and gave Tyson a pointed glare. Tyson shrugged slightly, a sheepish look on his face.

"Good morning?" he ventured tentatively.

Kai was about to snap at him when the door opened and Tala stumbled in.

"Ooooh, my head!" Tala wailed, dropping into Kai's chair. He held a bottle of vodka in the one hand. Tyson looked disturbed, but Kai got out of bed, stifling a yawn.

"Why are you playing loud music at the eight o' clock in the morning?" Tala cried dramatically, clapping his hands over his ears. Kai rolled his eyes.

"I hardly think this falls into the category of loud," Kai said flatly, turning off the stereo.

"Is he okay?" Tyson asked, watching from underneath the covers.

"What do you mean?" Kai asked in disbelief. "Ah…right…this is your first time seeing him like this, isn't it. Well, introducing Tala with a hangover," Kai announced, as he took the bottle out of his friend's grasp, marched to the bathroom, and proceeded to pour it down the sink. Without Kai's aid, Tala's hangovers usually lasted a few days, since Tala insisted on nursing them with even more alcohol.

Tala groaned, ran past Kai into the bathroom, and began emptying his stomach. Tyson cringed and heard Kai yell something along the lines of "get-the-fuck-out-of-my-bathroom-before-you-make-the-entire-room-reek."

Kai appeared again, slamming the bathroom door behind him. Tyson slipped out of bed and promptly tripped, falling on his face. Kai didn't bother to catch him, but did throw him a glance.

"Ow!" Tyson pushed himself off the ground and picked up the heavy book that he had tripped on. "The Chamber by John Grisham? This isn't my book."

"It's mine," Kai said, not bothering to explain how it had gotten down there. Tyson wouldn't remember, anyway.

The younger boy stood up and flipped through the pages.

"Hmm… this is pretty intense stuff."

"You idiot." Kai snatched the book away and put it back on his lamp stand. His day wasn't starting pleasantly, and he had very little patience at the moment. No sooner had the thought left his mind when the door banged open again. Hilary appeared with Max in tow.

"Good morning!" she sang out.

Max smiled cheerfully. "Hey, Tyson! What's up, buddy?"

"Max!" Tyson climbed over the bed and Max jumped on him with a bear hug. Hilary walked in as if she owned the place and tapped Kai on the nose. Kai squeezed his hands into fists.

"So, how did the night go?" Hilary smirked.

"Why do you _always_ ask me that?" Kai growled. "It didn't 'go.' It never 'goes.' It was just like any other night. Now, would you kindly stop barging in here like this? And did you have to bring Max? My room is crawling with people."

Hilary clapped a hand over her heart in mock drama. "Kai's friends have come to see him! Oh, the world is ending!"

"Shut…up."

Max looked up from where he was on top of Tyson. "Hey, Kai, did I ever tell you that I almost had a heart attack when Hilary told me Tyson was your new roommate?"

Kai exhaled loudly. "Yes. Everyday. For the past week."

"Ah, but do you know _why_?"Max wiggled his eyebrows, exchanged a look with Hilary, and they both burst into giggles.

"I'd rather not," Kai retorted, having a pretty good idea of what was going on in their dirty little minds.

"Hey, what are you talking about?" Tyson cut in, poking Max's side. "Tell meeee…" he whined.

Max grinned and gave Kai a wink. "Ask Kai," he laughed.

Kai felt like beating… something—anything!—over the head with a very large stick. Hilary brushed past him and opened the bathroom door. They all jumped when she shrieked.

"Kai! Your friend is dying!"

Kai rolled his eyes and Tala came stumbling out. "Not dead yet, Hilary," Tala muttered, dragging his wasted carcass a few steps before finally throwing himself onto Kai's bed in a heap.

Kai looked around the room with narrowed eyes. Including him, there were five people in the room. That was four too many for his liking. He could put on his famous death-glare and get people to leave, but that would require too much energy and take up more time than the alternative.

"I'm leaving," Kai said, moving to his closet to quickly grab a change of clothes. Audible groans were heard around the room.

"Aww, Kai, but you're the life of the party," Max insisted, putting on a puppy-dog look. Hilary joined in, her voice grating on Kai's nerves. Tyson decided that since everyone else seemed to be ganging up against Kai, it would be safe for him to contribute as well.

"Yeah, Kai, what's wrong?" Tyson ventured with a mischievous glint in his eye. Before he could get the rest of his statement out, Kai whirled around and glared at him.

"You, who broke my vase, can shut up right there," Kai ground out.

Tyson let out an exasperated moan, "That was _ages_ ago! God, you are so anal."

"You would be too if you were me and had to deal with you," Kai shot back.

Tyson snickered at the fact that he hadn't denied it. "So you _like_ being anal?"

Kai took a deep breath. His first week with Tyson actually hadn't been _that_ bad. Kai spent most of his time at the library, while Tyson had a week of Orientation, followed by a lot of time with Max and Hilary. They only saw each other at night, and during those times, Tyson was a bit calmer and didn't—thanks to Hilary's helpful donation—snore too loudly. Kai even vaguely remembered thinking that he just might be able to get through the year with Tyson as his roommate. But early mornings (when Tyson was awake) were a constant reminder as to why their first day went so badly.

Kai went to the bathroom and slammed the door. Max giggled again, and it was contagious. Tala threw Kai's pillow over his head and moaned to himself.

"So, Tyson, what'cha got planned for today?" Max asked.

"Um… I have lectures and—ah!" Tyson's mouth turned into an "o", which soon melted into a wide grin. "Today is my first official day of classes," he announced proudly.

Hilary clucked her tongue. "I surely hope you do better here than you did in high school," she commented. "Speaking of, it's quarter past eight. You should be up and getting ready, Tyson!"

Tyson rolled off the bed and headed to his closet. He cracked it open slightly as to not let everything fall on top of him and pulled out some clothes. The door to the bathroom opened and Kai came out, shutting it quickly behind him.

"Tala, my bathroom reeks of vomit," Kai said icily.

Tala moved the pillow slightly. "Well, duh, Kai, I threw up in there. Don't be stupid."

Kai held his tongue and, much to his dismay, saw that nobody had left. Tyson was pushing the closet door shut with some difficulty, Hilary was adjusting Max's collar, and Tala was just lying there.

"Thou shalt not kill," Kai muttered, walking to his desk and picking up a notebook. "Tala, get out."

"Aww, Kaiiiiii—" the redhead was cut short as Kai yanked his arm off the bed and forced him to stand. "You would kick out your one true friend?"

Kai shoved him out the door and into the hallway. Tala's hangover was still too fresh for him to put up a struggle, so he headed for his own room. Kai turned back around and glared at Hilary and Max.

"Goodbye," Kai said. "I think you've overstayed your welcome."

"Let them stay," Tyson said, pulling a shirt over his head.

Kai glared at him. "I am _this_ close to—" Kai stopped himself, cleared his throat, and swallowed hard. "I'm leaving now and when I get back, I expect you two to be gone."

"Such a stick in the mud," Tyson sighed.

"You've certainly grown arrogant," Kai commented. "Don't think I've forgotten about that vase. It was expensive."

"Blah," Tyson said, hunting for his jacket.

Max chuckled. "Don't worry, Kai, we're leaving," the blonde said, sliding off the bed. "We'll be gone soon."

"Yeah, so just shoo," Hilary said, waving her hand at him. Kai growled again and walked out of the door, closing it behind him.

Tyson found his jacket and shrugged it on. "Okay, time for me to go to my first lecture!" he exclaimed.

Max laughed, "Don't sound so excited."

* * *

Tyson walked through the striking green campus towards the core structure of Aoki University. He had a navy backpack messily slung over his left shoulder, in addition to his trademark red and blue baseball cap atop his head. There was a wide goofy grin, plastered like glue, on his face, and his eyes were literally sparkling with exhilaration. It was still hard for him to fathom the fact that he, Tyson Kinomiya, was actually heading to his first university class. Damn. Who would've thought?

After Kai had stomped out like he was on PMS—something that Tyson didn't think was possible for guys, but his one-week acquaintance with Kai had proved him otherwise—Tyson had found out that his lecture actually started at ten. That was great news because it gave him a chance to eat breakfast for a blissful extended period.

The cafeteria food, much to Tyson's surprise and delight, was more than satisfactory. It didn't even bother him that some people stared at him eating, while Hilary kept saying disapproving comments that he never quite heard, except for the random words such as shovel, vacuum cleaner, closet, and world record.

After Tyson had stuffed one more croissant into his mouth, Max and Hilary had offered to walk him to his first class, but Tyson had insisted that he could find his way on his own. The freshman had hastily mentioned something about standing on his own two feet and being a true university student before dashing off.

Unfortunately, in the midst of all of Tyson's excitement, it somehow slipped his mind that one, the main building was huge; two, he didn't have a campus map; and three, he wasn't the only student who now had to attend class.

As soon as he entered the hall, Tyson's mouth dropped open, and he gawked like a goldfish. The main foyer bustled with countless students, all going in different directions. The lobby seemed to extend to various different hallways and stairwells that probably went on forever. People rushed around like they were high on caffeine (which, perhaps, they more than likely were). Some of them swam in fairly large clusters, while others journeyed alone.

Still staring, Tyson couldn't help but suddenly feel like he was in a human beehive. Now why was he here again? Oh, right. Class.

Tyson felt somebody curtly brush passed him, and he took that cue to start treading with the rapids. As his eyes wandered, taking in the foreign environment, he absently zipped open his backpack and pulled out his schedule.

_Introduction to the Theory of Theatre, MB 2014_, he mentally read. Tyson crinkled his forehead. Where the hell was that anyway? For a fleeting moment, Tyson wondered whether he should've taken taken up Max and Hilary's offer to walk him to class, but quickly dismissed it. Afterall, Tyson had a great sense of direction, and all he had to do was read the began digging through his bag before gravely realizing that said map was still sitting on his desk. _Crap._

The bluenette's eyes darted around for someone who remotely looked like they weren't rushing to some class.

"Hi can you… Excuse me do… You see I'm looking—gah!" Tyson groaned in frustration. Everyone was so caught up in whatever they were doing that he just couldn't seem to get any of them to notice him!

_What to do…what to do…_ Tyson chanted to himself. The increasingly flustered teen checked his watch: 9:50. Only ten minutes left. He mentally thwapped himself for taking so long to eat breakfast. _I knew I shouldn't have eaten those five __extra__ croissants!_ he continued to scold himself. _Gaaaah…stupid stupid stupid stupid stu—_

"Excuse me, but are you lost?"

Tyson quickly shook out of his crisis and turned right. He met a pair of vibrant blue eyes, and he couldn't help but be reminded of the sky on a clear summer day.

"What?" Tyson asked.

The girl leaned forward, her long red hair falling past her shoulder "Are you lost?" she repeated louder.

Tyson stared at her for a moment, allowing the question to be absorbed and an answer determined. Suddenly, he began laughing as if he had been told an incredibly funny joke. The newcomer stepped back, giving Tyson a slightly puzzled look.

"Me? Lost? Of course not!" Tyson announced, subconsciously putting a hand behind his head. "I was just…uh…deciding on the quickest route to room MB 2014."

Tyson received a raised eyebrow, followed by nothing but silence. The girl seemed to be contemplating something. The first-year silently observed her, beginning to wonder what she was thinking. Actually, why was she here in the first place anyway? As if the redhead heard his question, she finally began to speak.

"Hm…well, I hope this doesn't sound too strange, but…" she paused, making Tyson's curiosity rise, "do you happen to be Tyson Kinomiya?"

Tyson shook his head in slight confusion. "Y-yeah," he answered clumsily, giving the petite girl a questioning stare.

"Oh good!" she laughed in relief. "That would have sounded quite bizarre if you weren't, huh?" Tyson stared at her blankly, and a subtle grin swept over her face. "Ah, I haven't introduced myself yet. My apologies. My name is Suzaku. Suzaku Hinote." She extended her hand, which Tyson tentatively accepted.

"I'm…well I guess you already know who I am…" Tyson replied awkwardly. "So…um…how do you…uh…" his voice trailed off, leaving his question unfinished.

"I'm a friend of…Hilary's," Suzaku answered after a slight pause, still smiling. "She told me that her best friend was coming to Aoki this year, and if I ever saw a boy with a red and blue baseball cap aimlessly wandering amuck, I should help him out."

Suzaku's response settled into Tyson's mind, and he soon found himself chuckling softly with a slow smirk playing onto his lips. Hilary always seemed to look out for him like that.

Ever since they were kids, Hilary always watched his back. Of course, she also had a tendency to push him to the brink insanity at times—okay, maybe all the time—but that was just her way of showing that she cared. Besides, what were best friends for if not to look out for one another, while driving the other mad at the same time?

At the moment, Tyson did appreciate Hilary's concern, but his pride also wanted a say in the matter. Hilary always seemed to believe that he couldn't find his way out of a shoebox, and Tyson always wanted to prove her otherwise.

"Yeah, well, I'm not lost, you know," Tyson stated as-a-matter-of-fact.

As soon of the words left his mouth, a nagging voice suddenly entered his mind. _Oh god... not now,_ Tyson inwardly moaned.

"Just what the heck are you doing?" Tyson's inner-self fumed. "Weren't you desperate for some help just a second ago?"

Tyson silently groaned again, wishing that his subconscious picked another time to invade his head.

_I wasn't desperate! _he quickly shot back. _Besides, it's different since Hilary was involved. You actually expect me to give in to her?_

"Well, you're gonna to be late for class."

_So what? It's not like they'll kick me out for this._

"Your Prof is going to think you're a lazy tardy brat." Inner Tyson seemed to rethink that statement for a moment. "Well, I guess you are to some extent, but don't you think it's too early in the year to have Profs out to get you already? Have you forgotten how high school was like?"

Tyson sweatdropped, as a surge of love-hate memories of detention, clean up duty (no thanks to Hilary), extra assignments, and many other things flooded his mind.

…_Quiet._

"You do remember then! Then why don't you just turn around and let—"

Tyson cut him off by firmly sticking Inner Tyson into a box and sitting on it, drowning out his loud protests. He focused his attention back to the girl in front of him.

"Thanks anyway," Tyson said, his words genuine, but his overly cheerful look a façade. How happy could he actually be when his inner self was hounding him, and he knew that he was right?

Tyson dismissed the thin eyebrow that Suzaku raised on his account. The younger boy continued to paddle on ahead, hoping to somehow find his way alone. However, the girl he tried to leave behind apparently was not too fond of that idea.

"Hold on Tyson," Suzaku called out, lightly jogging to catch up. "My class is in the same direction. Would it be alright if I walked with you?"

Tyson seemed to ponder the idea for a moment before checking his watch. Five minutes left.

"Just say yes, idiot," Inner Tyson said, his volume still muffled by the box.

Tyson flinched. Now that was annoying.

_You sound like Kai,_ Tyson thought crossly.

"Then I guess you two have bonded pretty damn quickly if his attitude is already in your subconscious."

_Shut…up._

"Whoa! I guess it rubbed off on your conscious self too."

Tyson was about ready to bang his head against a wall.

_Am I really this annoying?_

Inner Tyson didn't say anything back, and Tyson mentally groaned; he already knew the answer to that. The defeated teenager looked back to meet Suzaku's gaze before giving her a short nod.

"Okay, fine."

She smiled. "Shall we then?"

The soft-spoken girl initiated a stride, while Tyson followed suit. Walking side-by-side—Suzaku slightly ahead—the two students established a steady, quick pace. They weren't talking much, and Tyson was rather thankful since he was a tad busy organizing his thoughts—alone this time.

Now that dilemma number one of finding his first class was over, he was thinking about the next thing on his to-do list: finding a job. Tyson only had two classes today (both in the morning, no less), so he figured that he'd go job-hunting after lunch. Not that he actually needed one; it was more of a personal thing.

Tyson was actually very fortunate. His father was a renowned archaeologist, while his mother used to be a remarkable doctor. Moreover, his grandfather ran (and still does) a successful dojo—one that Tyson would probably inherit in the future.

The dojo was one of Tyson's favourite places. He spent a lot of his time there doing practically anything, though often just randomly lazing on the wooden floor, much to his grandpa's disapproval, who frequently insisted that Tyson use that time to train. However, despite his habit of lounging around, Tyson's dedication to kendo was quite genuine. It often surprised (and perhaps overwhelmed) people to see just how serious he could be. And it wasn't just with kendo either.

Tyson's fortitude and wealth were two aspects about himself that people rarely saw. His fortitude involuntarily came out when he faced something that he felt strongly about (like kendo). Tyson's wealth, on the other hand, was something that he purposely hid. Tyson just didn't like the idea of being given special treatment because of it or the effect it could have on his character.

Take Kai, for example. From what Tyson had seen so far, Kai seemed like the typical rich boy type. The way he talked down to people and his whole high and mighty attitude really gave it away. Plus, Kai had that abnormal obsession with a vase. Seriously, a _vase_!

If Tyson really wanted to, he probably _could_ get Kai a new vase from France. It would be really annoying, but not impossible for him to pull off. Honestly though, it was a vase. Anything breakable was prone to breaking. Kai was just being a condescending rich prick about it—something that Tyson swore he'd never turn into.

"We're here," Suzaku suddenly announced, breaking Tyson's musings.

The bluenette looked up. "We are?" His auburn eyes finally noticed the open door just up ahead. "Oh. That was fast."

Suzaku laughed. "Well you learn how to get around pretty quickly after being here for four years."

"I'll bet," Tyson idly answered, advancing forward. "Hey wait a sec…did you just say _four_ years? But aren't you a second-year like Hilary?"

"Oh, no," she replied with ease. "I'm in a graduate program. I met Hilary through the Aoki Student Council."

"Oh, right," Tyson said, nodding.

Tyson's attention then went back to his first class. Silently, the freshman sauntered towards his gateway of university manliness, his eyes locked on the sacred passage. He left Suzaku to follow him with a small simper on her face—one that he completely missed. Finally, Tyson took in a deep breath, and the nineteen-year-old curiously peered into the foreign area.

_Dude…it's so…big…_

Tyson's inquisitive gaze cautiously swam across the room, taking in every detail. There was a wide area in the front of the room like a stage, and a few sets of stairs led upward with many rows of long tables beside them. It looked a lot like a theatre.

"Pretty different from high school, huh?"

Tyson glanced beside him to see Suzaku, who wore a light smile. "It is," Tyson nodded. "I mean seriously…damn."

It's not like Tyson had never seen a lecture hall before (or, as Hilary liked to call it, an auditorium). There were things such as brochures, movies, and TV, but to see it in person? Now that was a different story.

"Anyway, it was nice meeting you," Tyson went on. He was about to go into the lecture hall, but turned around instead. Tyson leaned on the wall beside the door, not wanting to be an obstruction to other students entering the auditorium. "Hey Suzaku, where's your class?"

Suzaku pointed a thumb further down the hall. "Just over there," she replied. "Maybe I'll see you afterwards. What time do you finish today?"

Tyson shrugged, "At 1."

His newly found friend grinned again—the same one she seemed to be giving liberally. "Okay. Hopefully, I'll see you at the caf then. I'll catch you later, Tyson."

That said, Suzaku waved at him and quickly left. It was then that Tyson suddenly noticed that the halls weren't as busy as they had been when he had first arrived. _Oops._

Tyson dashed into the nearby door and scrambled up the short flight of stairs before settling into an empty seat near the back. Upon sitting down, an older gentleman (probably in his late-thirties or so) strode through the door and stopped at the front desk. Tyson couldn't help the smug look on his face. Perfect timing.

* * *

"Your timing sucks balls," Tala groaned, still staring at the shut door where one of his lady friends had just stepped out of. "I was just about to—"

"Do stop," Kai cut in, not in the mood to listen to one of Tala's sexcapades. Kai sauntered over to Tala's wooden desk, placed his bag on top of it, and settled into the black, leather chair. "You seem to have recovered quickly," Kai commented, noticing Tala's showered hair, fresh clothing, and collected demeanor—quite opposite to Tala's state about an hour or so ago.

Tala smirked, his gaze wandering to the ceiling. "Well, you know... with the right motivation, hangovers are just a speck of annoyance. But anyway," Tala pushed himself up into a sitting position, leaned against his bed's headboard, and crossed his arms, "enough about me. What brings you here? After this morning, I was sure you would've stalked into a dark corner somewhere," he grinned.

Kai shot him a fatal glare. "It's not funny."

"It's a little funny," Tala chuckled.

"I want Tyson gone," Kai denounced. "I'm about ready to—"

"Kai, Kai, Kai," Tala swept in, clicking his tongue in a disapproving manner. "Didn't you say you wouldn't force anymore students out of Aoki?"

Kai scoffed, shaking his head, "I said I would _try_ not to force students out."

"And you haven't for over half a year now!" Tala promptly exclaimed, swinging his legs over the bed and facing Kai properly. "Why don't we keep it that way, hm? Tyson's not so bad. You survived a week with him, didn't you?"

"Only because we rarely saw each other," Kai muttered.

Kai glanced at the other side of the room, noticing a large, wooden corkboard hanging over Max's desk. It was filled with pictures, some recent and some from what looked like high school. One picture in particular—it showed three students in navy high school uniforms in a classroom—grabbed Kai's attention. A girl with brown hair sat on a desk, legs-crossed, and a cocky expression on her face. A blonde boy held a blackboard eraser, laughing. And a bluenette with a red and blue baseball cap knelt on the floor, scrubbing the tiles with what looked like cheap white styraphone, a scowl on his face.

"What'cha smiling at?" Tala's voice suddenly interrupted him.

"Nothing," Kai looked back at Tala.

Tala stared at Kai for a second, before his gaze floated to the object of Kai's attention. Tala stood up, strolled over to Max's desk, and began examining the corkboard. "He does look pretty cute in this picture," Tala smirked.

Kai made a low sound in the back of his throat. "I shouldn't have bothered trying to talk to you," he said, as he stood up, snatched his bag, and stomped towards the door.

"I'm just kidding! Aw, come on Kai," Tala laughed, dashing after him, just in time to stop Kai from trudging out of the room. "Look, just give him a chance. Tyson's still just a kid, so maybe he does act a bit immature, but he's also interesting, upbeat, and fun," Tala stated, ticking off each trait with his fingers. "Now are those such bad things?"

"Yes."

"Kai..." Tala gave him a dull stare.

Kai took a deep beath and sighed loudly, "Fine. I will _try _to continue to tolerate him, but if he annoys me, I'm not holding back."

Tala smacked Kai on the back, smiling from ear to ear, "That's my Kai! Always trying to be a better person."

Kai grit his teeth, trying to keep himself from punching his best friend.

* * *

Tyson's class went on at a fairly reasonable pace. He didn't find all of it especially interesting, but he did manage to pay attention the whole time, and for Tyson, that was saying a lot. He vainly hoped that they'd get to do some kind of acting exercises so that he could show off his self-proclaimed skills, but had no such luck. The Professor, Mr. Okazaki, pretty much lectured about dramatic theories and a little bit of history throughout the whole hour. Tyson loved acting and all, but sometimes all that theory and history made his head feel like a whirlpool.

Tyson's second class wasn't too far from his first, but if it hadn't been for Suzaku, who was coincidentally one of the Teaching Assistant for _Introduction to Acting I_, he probably would've been late. Not that he'd actually admit that though.

Tyson had high hopes for his second class since it was being held in a studio—an indication of more application rather than theory—but sadly, the Professor was still on vacation, and they had some random substitute who kept gibbering about god knows what. He had this monotone voice that seemed to be hypnotizing Tyson into a dreamless sleep. Suzaku's faint voice was the only thing that would systematically interrupt him from drifting into an uncomfortable nap.

There was one good thing that Tyson thought would come out of it: no homework. Unfortunately though, the real Professor, Mrs. Honda, had actually left them an assignment to look over, which, during the last five minutes of class, the stand-in had randomly sprung on them before they could leave. Something about memorized improv…? Oh well. He'd figure it out.

"So are you still coming with me?" Suzaku inquired, while neatly placing her papers into a pile and sliding them into a binder in her bag.

Tyson furrowed his eyebrows, trying to get some of his brain cells to start functioning again after the narcotic lesson. A few seconds went by. Then a minute. Suzaku was staring at him now. Damn that substitute for putting his precious genius to sleep!

Tyson heaved out a sigh. "Coming…where?" he eventually had to ask.

She raised an eyebrow with a small grin. "To lunch."

"Oh right!" Tyson laughed sheepishly, as he stuffed his pencil case into his backpack. "Well, wherever there's food, I'll definitely be lurking around somewhere. Plus, I'm starving!" Tyson let out a content breath of air, stretching his cramped arms in the process. "Ah, food and a pretty girl for company. University life is good," he added, sending a wink towards Suzaku.

Strangely enough, Tyson received a comfortable smile in return. Not quite what he expected—girls usually blushed or actually flirted back—but hey, smiling is a good thing, right?

"I like you," Suzaku suddenly announced.

Tyson blinked. She…what?

"Come on Tyson, let's go." Before Tyson could ask anything, Suzaku was already gliding down the stairs. "What are you waiting for? I thought you were dying for food," she called from below.

"I-I'll be there in a second!" he yelled back, quickly shaking off the unexpected declaration. Tyson darted to the front of the class where she was waiting.

"Shall we then?" Suzaku asked with a grin, imitating their meeting a few hours ago. She started to walk ahead, probably knowing that Tyson would tag along.

_Does she have a crush on me or something?_ Tyson wondered to himself, walking a little bit behind her. Even if she was a friend of Hilary's, she was acting really nice to him. _Ah, it doesn't matter.__ It's definitely a nice change from the treatment I've been getting lately__ anyway__, _Tyson decided, thinking about Kai._ Stupid anal rich prick._

"Are you all right?"

"What?" Tyson blinked out of his growing displeasure.

"You looked upset," Suzaku pointed out. "Is something wrong? Did I—"

"It's not you," Tyson promptly stated. "I've just been having a little bit of… difficulty, I guess you can say, with my current roommate. He's…er…we'll let's just say that we clash. Don't worry about it though; it's no big deal. Everyone has to deal with people they don't like once in a while, right?"

Suzaku nodded. "That's true," she agreed, consciously tilting her head. "Still, you have my curiosity now. May I know who this difficult roommate is?"

Tyson scoffed as the name flashed in his mind. "Kai Hiwatari," he replied in a flat tone.

Said name of rich prick was followed by an interval of silence. That or Tyson went momentarily deaf.

"I…see," Suzaku eventually said in an eerily slow, composed manner. Tyson looked down at her and noticed that she was staring straight ahead, her appearance mirroring her voice. "Well, good luck with that then," she suddenly added. She seemed to take notice of his staring and promptly changed her demeanour and returned him with that familiar, calm smile.

_Maybe I was just overreacting about nothing,_ Tyson thought, continuing to walk. After about five minutes, the teenager was a becoming bit restless. _How long are these hallways?_ he wondered. _Oh well. The bigger they are, the less likely I'll run into—_

"Kai! Will you quit walking ahead of me all the time?" a voice—one that Tyson was reasonably familiar with—suddenly complained up ahead.

_No. No. No no no!_ Tyson internally groaned, as his eyes quickly scanned through the rabble. _It must be another Kai, _he tried to rationalize._ Kai's a pretty common name, isn't it? And this university is huge! There's no way that he could be—_

"If you would stop flirting every five minutes, then perhaps you wouldn't be left behind," came the snarky retort.

_That voice. Damnit! It is him. Ugh. This really sucks. Unless…_

Tyson turned his attention to Suzaku. He just didn't want to deal with Kai right now. He wasn't in a terribly bad mood or anything, but the last lecture and all his thinking made him a bit cranky. Plus, being exposed to Kai didn't usually end with marshmallows and rainbows. Tyson would be doing them both a favour if he avoided him.

"Hey Suzaku, do you think we can go over—"

"Hey there," a low, sensual voice greeted. Tala stood a few metres away from them, in the adjacent hallway.

"Hello back," Suzaku replied, eying Tala cheerfully. Tyson cocked an eyebrow; it was strange how she said that without sounding like she was hitting on him—kind of like it was an every day greeting. The female averted her gaze to Kai, who was currently giving her a neutral stare. "Hi Kai. How are you?"

"Same as always," Kai replied evenly. "You?"

"I'm good; thanks for asking."

Suzaku started to advance towards the caf again, as if the conversation had already ended. Tyson hastily followed and was surprised that Tala and Kai soon joined them. Tala on his left, and Kai thankfully walked on Suzaku's right, thus separating the two roommates.

_Am I missing something here? _Tyson wondered, while glancing at his present company. He felt a different atmosphere around the three, but it wasn't awkward. It was actually very calm and…comfortable even. It was quiet too. Nice, but still a bit strange since usually—

_He hasn't said a single word to me,_ Tyson realized. _Not even an insult. Why isn't he insulting me? Am I suddenly not even worth insulting anymore? Jeez! Kai's so—_

Tyson stopped. It suddenly dawned on him that he was whining about Kai not provoking him. Tyson promptly crinkled his forehead. There had to be something wrong with that. It must be that substitute's fault that he was getting irritated more easily. He was totally fine in the morning, so it makes sense! That had to be it. Right? Right.

"Did I mention that I picked up a stray puppy this morning?" Suzaku randomly said out loud.

Tyson's copper eyes widened in slight confusion. _She did? __When?_ Tyson could have sworn she didn't have anything when he saw her this morning...but maybe she found it during the time he was in his first class. Or maybe—

"I can see that," was Kai's simple reply.

_Oh. Kai sees that._ It took Tyson an additional three seconds to absorb that remark. _Wait…what the hell? He does? How?_

Tyson felt rather befuddled now. Kai was talking about this puppy as if it was walking right beside Suzaku, and that was clearly impossible.

"A stray puppy?" Tala repeated, with a hint of amusement in his tone. "I doubt you'd consider him a stray since he lives with Kai."

If it were possible, Tyson's eyes would've widened even more at the redhead's comment. He immediately directed a pointed glare at Kai. Why hadn't Tyson seen Kai with this puppy before? Has Kai been hiding it his closet? That idea seemed to click.

_Holy shit! That must be it! I knew Kai was a jerk, but god! That's animal cruelty!_ Tyson mentally ranted.

Tyson was not conscious of how his facial expression exposed his current emotions perfectly, but everyone else sure did. And they reacted accordingly. Well, except Kai, of course.

Just as the freshman was about to voice his feelings to the non-animal abusers, Tyson noticed that Tala was now wearing an obvious smirk, while Suzaku seemed to be holding back laughter. This only oxidized his fire.

_Are they…amused by this? How could they just stand there? _Tyson fumed. _Puppies deserve to be treated with respect too!_

Tyson's inner turmoil was rising. Fast. He had this rapidly growing urge to smack Kai on the head and demand that he let the puppy out of his closet. Moreover, he had this vivid image of a poor little puppy pawing sadly against the closed closet door, while making sad little puppy sounds.

"—ven listening?"

The vision seemed to disappear. Tyson turned his head to the person beside him. "Did you say something?" he asked Tala.

"You kind of spaced out there for a minute," replied the animal abuser's best friend, chuckling to himself. "You thinking about something especially interesting, little Tyson?"

Somehow, the whole puppy ordeal seemed to slip from Tyson's mind. "Do you have to call me that?" Tyson whined, pouting (unintentionally, of course).

Tala smirked, followed by a smart snatch at Tyson's hat. Before Tyson could object, Tala had already ruffled the teenager's already slightly muddled dark hair, making it even messier than it was before.

"Hey!" Tyson finally shouted in protest. "What was that for?" he demanded, immediately taking his hat back and planting it firmly on his head. The last time someone did that to him was when he was still lit—_Oh. So that's why._ "I'm not an eight-year-old, you know."

Before Tala could give a quirky response, Suzaku reached over and lightly flicked Tala's chest. "Now now Tala. Stop teasing the first-year," she chided softly.

Tyson cocked his head; didn't Tala say something like that to him about not throwing pillows at Kai?

"Don't let him bother you. Tala just likes to fool around is all. He means no harm," Suzaku told him reassuringly. "He was probably just testing you to see if you'd snap at him like someone else would."

"Someone…else?"

"Yes, someone else, but don't worry too much about that Ty. Oh, I'm sorry…may I call you Ty?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

_She's really polite,_ Tyson declared, glancing back at Suzaku. It was strange. All of them had really different, but distinct personalities. Instinctively, Tyson began to examine the three people around him. Tala was like an outgoing flirt, but on the other hand, Suzaku was like one of those approachable adults. And then there was Kai…

Leaning forward a bit, Tyson's dark eyes ultimately landed on the profile of his grouchy roommate, and a frown naturally found its way onto his lips.

_How do I even start to describe the great Kai Hiwa-tightass? I bet he practices his death glare everyday in front of the mirror when no one is looking. Kai probably keeps a secret book full of jerk lines too, along with notes on how to piss everyone off._

Tyson glanced at Tala and Suzaku, scrunching his face.

_I have no idea how they can stand him. It's weird. They're all so different, but they still seem to be really close. I guess it's the whole opposites attra—_

"Tyson?"

Tyson firmly shook his head and swiftly refocused. He suddenly realized that Suzaku was giving him a very concerned look.

"Er…yes?"

"Are you really okay? You keep doing…well, _that_," she said quietly.

Tyson laughed nervously. Now he wasn't exactly known for having the best attention-span in the first place, but this morning in particular was especially distracting. There was just so happening: new people, new atmosphere, new everything!

"I'm good! I guess I was just thinking too much," Tyson admitted with a sheepish grin.

"Then don't think so much," said that familiar, arrogant voice. "It's obviously not one of your strong suits."

_Oh. Kai finally said something to me. Hey…wait a minute!_

Tyson's dark eyes flared."What did you say?" he demanded, preparing for a verbal battle.

"I don't repeat myself."

And that was that. Kai didn't say any following words. Kai just strolled on as if he didn't just insult the younger boy. Tyson quietly huffed in annoyance.

_How dare he._

Now this, Tyson was not going to just quietly let go of. Somehow, he didn't think it was right for Kai to tempt him like that and then suddenly stop. It was frustrating—especially since he knew he couldn't really say anything back without making himself look like a jerk since Kai did, after all, drop the attack.

_Hold on…that's it!_ The so-called truth suddenly hit Tyson like a sack of potatoes._So you want this to be an underground war, huh? Fine,_ Tyson mentally accepted the supposed challenge. _I was getting tired of all these kid's games anyway. In that case, let's make this official._

"Hey Kai."

"What?" Kai replied, not even bothering to look at the speaker.

"Can I talk to you about something?" Tyson asked, trying to sound genuine.

"Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"

_Hm. Verbal attack. I can handle this,_ Tyson thought confidently. "Because you owe me."

"For what?"

"For being so rude on my first day here."

There was a temporary hush. It was true, after all.

"At least I didn't destroy any of your belongings," Kai finally said.

Again with the vase! You'd think that it was the urn with his family's ashes or something! Luckily, this didn't faze Tyson one bit.

"You know, that's getting pretty old. Are you ever going to let that go?"

"Not anytime soon."

_I feel like he wants to argue…is he trying to make this an open battle now?_ Tyson wondered to himself. _Whatever. I just won't take the bait then._

Tyson tapped Suzaku. "Mind if we switch?"

"Be my guest."

Suzaku stepped back and moved in Tala's direction, while Tyson took the empty space beside Kai. The second-year gave him a bored glance.

"Why are you standing beside me?"

Tyson chose it ignore that. Instead, he sighed. "You know, if it means that much to you, I'll get you a new vase," he offered half-truthfully. He_ could_ afford it, right?

_Maybe if I just get him to calm down a little, he'll listen to me,_ Tyson planned. _But jeezuz, this is so weird…it's like trying to make a peace treaty in order declare war!_

Sadly, Kai didn't calm down. The vase seemed to be a _very _touchy subject for him.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Kai asked, sending Tyson that condescending look. "You just don't understand. That vase was a priceless, French, antique. You can't just replace something like that." There was a brief pause. "Then again," Kai went on, "what would someone like _you_ know about the worth of something like _that_? I'll tell you: nothing. You know nothing."

Tyson could feel his left eyebrow convulse. _Breathe Tyson. Breathe, _he chanted to himself, which unfortunately wasn't helping him at all. _Breathe. Breathe. Bre—ugh! To hell with that!_

"I'm sorry," Tyson started, scorn seeping into his voice. "I guess I've just never met any guys that were overly obsessed with _pots_. Seriously Kai...you just keep bringing this up over and over again! Do you not know what an _accident _is? Have you no compassion?" Tyson paused as well, imitating Kai's own tactic. "Oh. Wait. Don't answer that."

And then Tyson's eyes shot daggers. So long to being calm about all this. Oh well. Tyson lasted for a pretty good while anyway.

Kai glared back, and although it wasn't as noticeable, his composure was slowly diminishing as well. "It wasn't a pot_—_it was a vase. Go find a dictionary, Tyson. You might learn something."

And that is when the rest of Tyson's restraints crashed and burned.

"Why don't _you _go learn something?" Tyson shot back. In his head, he knew he had totally fallen into Kai's pace, but he honestly couldn't help it. "Have you ever bothered looking in a thesaurus, genius? A vase and a pot are the same thing!"

And Kai probably knew that he was dominating as well, since his next action only aggravated Tyson even more: Kai raised both eyebrows, feigning surprise.

"Wait! Stop! Go back...did you say _thesaurus_? Can you spell it too?" Kai's eyes widened with mock sincerity. "I didn't know you knew such big words Tyson! I'm almost impressed." The façade dropped, and Kai was once again glaring at the younger boy. "Almost."

Tyson growled. Yes, growled.

"Why you little—"

"Okay boys, " Suzaku cut in, suddenly pushing them apart. "I think it's time this stopped, hm?" She turned left. "Kai, walk with me for a while." Then right. "And Tyson, would you like to know the location of the nearest bathroom?"

"Maybe...probably…" Tyson managed to grumble, his annoyance obviously still fresh.

"All right then. Kai and I will go ahead to the main caf and get us a table. Tala can direct you to the men's room, okay?"

"Sure, why not," Tyson replied, just for the sake of replying.

"Fine by you Kai?" Kai acknowledged her question by silently trudging ahead. "That's a yes," she absently said out loud, before turning to the remaining boys. "We'll see you two in a bit then." And with another smile and wave, Suzaku left to catch up with Kai, leaving Tyson glaring, seething, and thinking of a word stronger than _hate_.

**Tsuzuku**


End file.
